New ICC chief voices support for Zimbabwe

New ICC chief voices support for Zimbabwe

• Vermeulen seeks to settle out of court

• Australia tour off, Zim government fumes

• Aussies scrap cricket tour: Your Shouts!

• Australian cricketers pressured to scrap tour

• Flower lands England coaching job

• Medical report holds up Vermeulen trial

• Zimbabwe bow out after Pakistan rout

• Williams' unbeaten 70 not enough

• Ireland tied with Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe in six wicket win over Bermuda

• Australia down Zimbabwe in World Cup warm-up

• Zimbabwe: the country with two teams, and no hope

• Flower brothers still no fans of ZC administration

• No place for Masakadza in World squad

By Staff Reporter

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) will provide help to revive Zimbabwe cricket, its acting president Ray Mali said Sunday.

“We all know there is lot of talent in Zimbabwe cricket,” he told a news conference. “It needs to be nurtured.

“The ICC will have to assist the players by exposing them to quality cricket.”

The Zimbabwe team has been weakened by the departure of many senior players due to disputes with the cricket board. The government withdrew the team from Test cricket last year although they still take part in one-day internationals.

Last month, the Australian government ordered the world champions to cancel a planned tour of Zimbabwe in protest against the policies of President Robert Mugabe.

The ICC cricket committee recommended last week that Zimbabwe should not return to the Test arena until it showed it could perform at the required standard.

“It is Zimbabwe which opted out of Test cricket,” Mali said. ”They will come back in November and say whether they are ready for Test cricket.” The ICC chief executives’ committee will meet later this month in London to consider the cricket panel’s recommendation on Zimbabwe as well as on other issues.

Mali took over as acting chief of the ICC this week to complete the term of his South African counterpart Percy Sonn, who died last month.

He urged players to back the Twenty20 format, demanding aggressive batting, after Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene expressed concern it would bring extra pressure on bowlers. - Reuters
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
ozzie@newzimbabwe.com